Shock-absorber for vehicles.



M. M. BROPHY.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN; 3, 1911 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M. M; BROPHY.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION PILEDJANJS, 1911.

Patented; Feb. 11, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wines; 5 M W M. M. BROPEY.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILEPJAN.3,1911

LQ5QQ'Y95 Patented Feb.11,1913.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3v M. M. BBOPHY. $130011 ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

I APPLICATION FILED JAILS, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4 MICHAEL BEAR! BRGPE-ZiY,-GF LQNDON, ENGLAND.

SEQCK-ALBEtQRBEE FOR VEHICLES.

eashes;

To all whom may com-era:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL MARY BRoPHY, a subject of the King; of Great Britain, residing at 4:8 Gordon Square, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to means or apparatus for mounting two bodies or parts of a body in such relation to each other that shocks or vibrations, imparted to one of such bodies or parts of a body will be, common:-

cated to the other in lesser degree, and to that class of such apparatus wherein the body to be protected from vibration is carried by a lever or levers arranged in conjunction with a spring or springs for affording the necessary resistance. According to my invention which is applicable to all kinds of vehicles such, for

example, as motor road vehicles, cycles, railway locomotives and carriages, horse drawn vehicles and baby carriages and seats, or chairs, couches'and the like, carried by such vehicles and also on board ship, the lover latter is increased, and vice versa.

To enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe the some by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrat ing the principle of my invention. Fig. 2 shows the application of my invention to a construction embodying a single plate spring. Fig. 3 is a view of a like construction in which the links are connected to the lever so as to be adjustable toward or from each other. Fig. 4 is a view showing the application'of my principle to a vehicle havingthe body connected to a il-shaped bracket. Fig. 5 is a view of the application of my invention to steady a platform. Fig. 6 is a detail of the construction showh in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of an arrangement of levers applied-to steady a platform and a secondpla'tiorm mounted Specification or". Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3.1, 1913.

Appiication filed January 3', 1911. serial No. 6%,605.

thereon. Fig. .8 is a side View of a berth or couch with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the lever and connection employed in the modification shown in Fig. 8, and Fipgyll) is a sectional View illustrating a detail of this latter construction.

The principle (if-my invention will be best understood by reference to Fig. 1, which is a diagrammatic view, A indicating a weight to be supported, B the lever carrying the said weight, and which is assumed to tllffll about a virtual pivot B, and C, C two springs which are put more or less into com-" pressionunder the action of the stud we1ght,i connect the said springs being respectively ed to the lever: B at the points D, Dxon opposite sides of the pivot B3, J

In the position of the partslshown, the lcverB will have an efi'ectivpllength as represented by the line w while it will act upon the springs C, 43 with a leverage the length 'of which is represented l7); the lines y, 3 If new the weight A is increased so as to compress the springs G, tent, the eflect will be .to-increase the length of the lever 1B,.as represented-by the line 02C and to shorten. the leverage acting against the springs, as represented by the line ;1

whereby the increased. resistance. which the springs will ofier to compression is balanced by the increase on the oneLhand-of the length of the leverage between the fulcrum and the load, and the shortening of the levei -age between the fulcrum and the point of application of the-power. As hereinbe- .iore stated this principle can be very ads vantageou'sly' applied to motor vehicles, its

application permitting'of such a. vehicle run:

Ctoja greater exhing with equal steadiness whether lightly or heavily loaded." I,

Fig. .2 shows the applicationof; the in ventionin connection with an elliptical or plate spring. In this arrangement the lever a will turn moreor less ma sthe point 71', the said. lever being connected by links- 2', to the chassis and to the spring e-so that the eiiectof the inoveinentsof theaxle b rclae tive ywith the chassis will produce a result very sim lar to that 'describedwith "reference to the diagrammatic v1ew, F1g. 1'.

In Fig. '3 the, 'arrangement is substantially the some as that shown in Fig. 2, ex-

cept that the lever 03 is pnovided with right- ,and left hand screw-thregadsand the links 4', Were connected to nnts '7', j' on. the said f screw-threaded portions that by rotatingor the power of'the spring.

the screwelever. an adjus ment can be effected according to the weight of the vehicle the rotation of the said lever it will be noticed that the end connected to the axle is formed with. a ball which works in a socket k. v

Fig. 41. shows an application of the invention to a vehicle having the body mounted on C-brackets in this case, the lever 0 is connected to the body of the vehicle by means l of a ball and socket joint, as in the arrangement last described, the said lever being also provided with right and left hand screwthreads upon-which nuts j, j are mounted;

the springs "e, e are connected to thesez nuts and to the- C-bracket and under the weight of the bodyof the vehicle both these springs are placed in tension, the lever moving on an imaginary pivot, between the two springs so that under any variation of the weight of the body the distance between the points of connection of the said springs, to the lever 0 will be decreased and the leverage correspondingly increased in the manner hereinbefore described.

Fig. 5 represents the application of my invention to a floating platform which might be very advantageously employed where great steadiness is required, for inthe said nuts by means of the screw can be effected through themedium of bevel gearing as at m, the gear wheels in connection with the several levers being operated simultaneously through the medium of suitably arranged shafts such as n which are geared not only to the adjusting screws, but to each other. If still greater protection is desired against vibration than that provided for by the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the platform Z might have mounted upon it a second platform n mounted similarly to the platform Z as indicated in Fig. 7

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the application of my invention to a berth or couch, Fight? being a side elevation, and Fig. 9- a sebtional plan. As represented in these figures the berth is supported upon two pairs of levers, 0, 0 mounted upon spindles p, p carried in suitable bearings on a frame 9 and these spindles 7), 79 have upon tlfem quadrants v,- 0 which are connected by a chain 1* 1n the manner indicated so as to insure the two ends of the berth rising and falling" in unison. The spring lever c, by means of which the weight of the berth is directly carried is arranged to move horizontally over the frame 9, the said lever having in connection with it springs e, e and being connected at one end by a ball and socket oint .9, shown drawn to an enlarged scale in Fig. 10, to a quadrant t through the medium of a chain'u, the rising and falling movement of the berth being thus communicated to the spring lever 0 which oscillates about an imaginary pivot between the nuts to which the two springs are connected, substantially as hereinbefore described. It will be obvious that the arrangement illustrated in Figs. Sand 9 is equally applicable to a seat or chair.

In all of the figures of the drawings where the lever is not formed with one portion at w an angle to the other the connections of the links therewith are made in such manner as toenable me to secure the same result. It will be observed that in all of these cases, the forward side of the lever makes a smaller angle with the line of load pressure than the like angle of a line connecting the point of attachment of the links thereto, and that by this arrangement under the varying conditions of use the points at which the links are connected to the lever will approach and recede from a line connecting the points at which theopposite ends of the. links are secured.

In the foregoing description springs are, in'a part of the construction, used as links and in another part rigid links so'connected with a spring or springs as to yield under load pressure, are employed. It is to be considered that these parts are variations of the same feature of construction and are generically considered equivalents and that all are elastic.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said. invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, l declare that what I claim is l. A shock absorbing device comprising a lever to one end of which the weight or body to be protected from shocks is connected, and two links carrying the said lever without the employment of any fiX'ed pivot, the

said links bein arran ed in such relation to the line of load iressure or draft being less than the l ke ang e formed by a line passing through .the points of the link attachment thereto.

5 In a shock absorbing device, the com- ;nation with a lever, one end of which is to connected with the load, of two elastic supports for said lever connected to the said lever near the opposite end of the same, said 10 points of connection with said lever being on opposite sides of the lever at a distance apart, and means for adjusting said points of connection toward and from each other.

'4 In a shock absorbing device, the combination with a lever, one end of which is to be connected with the load, of twc elastic supports for said'lever near the opposite end of the same, said points of connection being on opposite sides'of thelever near the opposite end of the same, right and left hand threads upon said lever for adjustin' the said points of connection toward and rom each other.

' MICHAEL MARY BRUPHY.

Witnesses:

JOHN E.,BoUsF1ELn, C. G. REDFERN.

and n g g 20 

